About Book-Based Movie Programs

Why Book-Based Movie Programs?

One of the most exciting and influential programs in schools and libraries today are the Movie/Book programs or the Read the Book, Watch the Movie programs in pubic libraries. These programs not only generate interest in the upcoming movie, but bring more interest and shine more light on the book the movie is based on. This newly increased interest often generates an increase in book sales and in library circulation of the book. These programs also increase reading and comprehension skills of reluctant readers.

What are Book/ Movie Programs?

Movie/book events typically spotlight one or several novels that have been adapted into a TV film or box office movie shown in theaters. The event then features a book club or a book discussion and then either a private screening of the movie or library planned trip to the showing of the movie. Public libraries typically have a book club where they lead discussions before and/or after the movie event. Individuals who have read the book, proceed to watch the movie, and then follow up with a discussion of the differences between the two mediums.

Books to Movies, A history

Books and movies have a long history with one another. Many classic books and stories have been transformed into major box office hits such as the classic novels To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee that was released in theaters in 1962, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey released as a film in 1975. Also, who can forget the countless screen adaptations of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma or the number of stage productions and films made based on Charles Dickens' The Christmas Carol? Truly, one cannot deny the impact literature has on cinema.
More recently, in the last decade, there has been an substantial increase in the number of book-based films released especially in the children and young adult genre. These films include but are not limited to: The Harry Potter series, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Twilight Saga, Diary of Wimpy Kid, Beastly, and the Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole. Still, more book-based movies are set to release in theaters such as the bestselling series The Hunger Games, Shiver, and Breaking Dawn, the continuation of the Twilight Saga.

Book-Based Movies have a positive effect on book sales

According to information cited in a Reuters article by Claudia Parsons, “The four books "Twilight," "New Moon," "Eclipse" and "Breaking Dawn" -- have held the top four spots on USA Today's bestseller list, which unlike some lists ranks young adult books alongside adult fiction, for the past two weeks. "For the past three years we've been steadily getting more fans, so when 'Breaking Dawn' came out (in August) it sold 1.3 million copies on the first day in the U.S.," Eulberg said.

Book-Based movies have a positive effect on the sales of related items

In a Publishers Weekly article titled “Narnia by The Numbers” the number of copies of items sold related to the Chronicles of Narnia are given. “750,000 copies of the first printing for the paperback edition of The Complete Chronicles of Narnia movie tie-in edition were sold. 600,000 first printing for the The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe with movie tie-in jacket art. 1 million projected sales by year- end of paperback edition of C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity since 2001 and 50,000 copies in print of Wiley's C.S. Lewis and Narnia for Dummies.” All in all there are, “95 million estimated worldwide sales of Narnia titles.”

Book-Based movies have a postive effect on library circulation

“A Study of the Impact of Children's Book-Based Blockbuster Movies on Library Circulation”, Hendershot found that, “The books Charlotte's Web, Eragon, and How to Eat Fried Worms report the largest difference between mean number checked-out before and after the book-based Blockbuster movie's release date. Analysis of this data show that for each of the books, there was a larger number of books checked-out after the movie's release date than before. This data would indicate that more children are interested in and checked-out the book of the book-based Blockbuster movie after the release date, possibly after they have already seen the movie.” Indeed, after further analyzing the circulation reports from five school libraries Hendershot found that there was an increase in circulation of a book after the movie release. (19)

Book-Based movies have a postive effect on literacy skills.

For the struggling reader, book-based movies allow the reader to make necessary connection and to comprehend what they normally wouldn't be able to understand due to lower comprehension skills (Israel, 59). For this reason, many struggling readers prefer to first see the book-based movie and then read the book (Beers, 112). A book-based movie can improve the reader's understanding of the setting, clear any cultural confusions, and aid in many other ways
by filling in the missing pieces the reader otherwise is unable to find. This reinforcement the book-based movie provides for the struggling reader enhances the reading experience and can motivate the reader to have the desire to repeat this enjoyable experience with future books and book-based movies.” ( Hendershot, 6).

Issues/Concerns

When it comes to producing a book-based movie program in a public library there a number of issues which need to addressed before the program can be implemented. Some of those issues include but are not limited to: movie licensing issues, transportation issues, funding, and parental permission.

Funding

Several options are available when it comes to funding the events such as teaming up with local businesses and restaurants. The local book store could be entreated to help with free advertisement. A local grocery store or restaurant could be asked to provide refreshments and snacks as well as posting advertisements in their places of business. Also, money could be used from the library's program budget to sponsor the event. Another resources that could be asked to assist would be the branches very own Library Friends. The Library Friends could be asked to assist in local fund-raising for the event in order to implement the movie/book program.

Resources

One great resource I have found is that of the Movie Licensing USA website. Under Public Libraries the website offers great tips for library programs, a how-to guide in order to screen the movie, and a list of books that have been made into movies. The ML USA website also offers fund raising tips as well as teen read week program ideas.

http://www.movlic.com/library/programming.html/

San Mateo County Library's Website - http://kids.smcl.org/en/node/843 Offers information on their own read then watch program.

The Grafton Library- http://www.grafton.lib.wi.us/templates/Spring%20Flyer%20for%20Website.pdf/ A PDF file of the Grafton Library's book/movie program.

Briar Cliff Manor Public Library- http://www.briarcliffmanorlibrary.org/readwatchadultprograms.html/ Offers detail on BCMPL's book-based movie program.

Ready When You Are, C.B. http://readywhenyouarecb.blogspot.com/2009/1/read-book-see-movie-challenge_25.html/ Blog entry that speaks about reading the book, then watching the movie challenge.

Goodreads: Jane Eyre- http://www.goodreads.com/challenges/3-the-jane-eyre-read-the-book-see-the-movie-challenge/ Website designed specifically for the new Jane Eyre movie released in March 2011. Readers were challenged to read Jane Eyre, the watch the movie, and then discuss the book and movie.

Misfits.org. http://www.misfit.org/bookmovie/bookmoviehistory.htm/ Offers a detailed timeline of books that have been made into movies from 1999-2010.

ALA/YALSA- http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/yalsa.cfm/ As always this website offers a number of resources and activity ideas for public library programs specifically designed for children and young adults.